Edwin Thomas Meredith founded the company in 1902 when he began publishing Successful Farmingmagazine. In 1922, Meredith began publishing Fruit, Garden and Home magazine, a home and family service publication. Two years later, this magazine was retitled Better Homes and Gardens,[2][3] and the first issue cost a dime on the newsstand. In 1930, they published the first edition of The Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. By 1928, the company had combined circulations of 2.5 million.

The company went public in 1946 and was first listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1965. Following its initial public offering, Meredith began acquiring television stations, a strategy it has continued over the decades.[4]

Recently, Meredith has introduced numerous other female-oriented consumer brands and has expanded its reach, through acquisitions and strategic partnerships, to become the leading media and marketing company serving the adult female audience in the United States. The company has extended its media and marketing platform around the globe, through acquisitions and strategic licensing relationships. In recent years, Meredith has acquired allrecipes.com from Reader's Digest Association,[5] mywedding.com.,[6] Selectable Media,[7] and Shape, Natural Health and Fit Pregnancy from American Media Inc.[8]

On September 8, 2015, Media General announced the acquisition of Meredith Corporation in a cash and stock deal valued at $2.4 billion. Pending regulatory and shareholder approval, the deal was expected to be consummated in June 2016. The combined company would have operated under the name Meredith Media General, and be the third-largest owner of television stations in the United States—serving an estimated 30% of households. To comply with FCC ownership limits, the company would have divested and/or swapped stations in six markets. Media General shareholders would have controlled 65% of the company, with Meredith shareholders holding 35%.[10] However, on January 27, 2016, Nexstar Broadcasting Group announced that it would acquire Media General.[citation needed] In February 2017, it was reported that Meredith Corp. and a group of investors led by Edgar Bronfman Jr. were considering pursuing Time Inc.[11]

The broadcasting division owns 15 television stations. Meredith's broadcasting division also produces Better, which was originally conceived as a brand extension of BH&G. Since its inception in 2007 the show has placed an increasing emphasis on celebrity interviews and music performances. There are also cooking demonstrations and regular features on health, beauty, fitness and fashion. The program currently airs on 80 stations nationwide.[14]

On December 23, 2013, Meredith announced plans to buy St. LouisCBS affiliate KMOV and Phoenix independent station KTVK for $407.5 million in cash from Gannett Company and Sander Media, LLC to satisfy a federal mandate that Gannett sell KMOV.[15] The purchase of KMOV was completed on February 28, 2014,[16] while the KTVK sale was completed on June 19.[17]

2 WCPX was acquired along with KPDX and WHNS when Meredith bought their parent company First Media,[22] but the station was swapped to Post-Newsweek Stations (former name of Graham Media Group) for WFSB a day later. Meredith never held control of the station.

Meredith Corporation has, through acquisitions and strategic partnerships, transformed the company into a "360 degree" media and marketing powerhouse serving the largest audience of female adults of any media company in the United States. John S. Zieser, Chief Development Officer, has led the company on these business activities, from the acquisition of the Parents, Family Circle and Fitness brands from European media conglomerate Bertelsmann in 2005, to the more recent acquisition of several digital and mobile companies which led to expansion of Meredith's high growth "business-to-business" Integrated Marketing division, to large strategic licensing relationships with Walmart and Realogy relating to the Better Homes and Gardens brand. John Zieser also leads and manages the acceleration of Meredith's consumer brands overseas, through over 35 licensing partnerships with leading media partners around the globe.